Remotely controlled or remotely piloted aerial vehicles, such as helicopters, drones, and airplanes, have a wide variety of uses. Among those uses includes mobile surveillance in both domestic and foreign environments for criminal investigation and military and intelligence operations, respectively. For example, aerial vehicles may include a microphone and camera to collect information in various locations, with the ability to remain stealth and/or move with the target. Moreover, aerial vehicles are used by hobbyists who enjoy flying the vehicles for recreation. An increasing number of aerial vehicles are battery powered. The capacity of the battery is limited, but is required to maintain flight and power the instruments associated with the aerial vehicles. If the battery power is drained to a certain amount, it must be recharged or replaced. However, replacing or recharging the battery requires the aerial vehicle to return to the operator for swapping of batteries or charging of the on-board battery.
Thus, a need exists for an apparatus and method for recharging or replacing a battery of a battery power, remotely controlled aerial vehicle in the field.